Story Previews VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE
by CrystalWolf10
Summary: ***DISCONTINUED*** I have many Sonic fanfic ideas, but have no clue which one to start on first. So I'm letting my readers vote for the story that they think will be most interesting based on snippets from the fics themselves. RATED MATURE FOR THE PREVIEW OF WHISPERS
1. Prologue to Chaos

**Author's Note:** This is a small project I've been working on over the past several days. I have a lot of fanfiction ideas that I want to make into official Sonic the Hedgehog fanfics, but I can't decide which one to work on first and jumping around between them isn't helping my progress much. Sooo I want you, my readers, to read these little snippets and in your reviews vote for the fanfic that you think will be most interesting. May the best fanfiction win. This first one is the prequel to my Black Flame series, which is currently the most advanced out of all of my ideas and quite possibly the most intricate and deceptive. I was going to give an extra preview from one of the sequels, but decided to leave it as it is. So just know that as the story continues it changes in major ways that many of you may not expect. Here we go!!

**Prologue to Chaos**

**Summary:** PREQUEL TO THE BLACK FLAME SERIES What starts out as a normal day turns into yet another adventure for Sonic and his friends when a mysterious telepath crash lands on Mobius, seeking their help to save a planet called Isillia. Midway through their mission, things take a turn for the worse, and tragedy strikes.

* * *

The sun was perched high above the land of Mobius, glowing brightly in the clear skies. Birds twittered and cawed, soaring high but not quite able to reach the bright ball of fire that gave life to all things. Below, small creatures scurried amongst the feet of their larger relatives, scouring every inch of the land for food. A faint wind rustled the leaves of the tall trees and made the blades of grass shiver. In a clearing surrounded by the massive plants whose branches reached as if to touch the sky, water flowed smoothly over rocks and the river wound its way through the myriad of trees and undergrowth. Outside of the woods, a great meadow stretched past the horizon. Soft, rolling hills and long, lush grass added to the land's beautiful features. Everything was silent, peaceful...

Suddenly, the animals in the grassland perked up, catching the distant sound of fast-approaching footsteps. A cloud of dust, kicked up by red, white-strapped shoes, could be seen as the sound grew louder and nearer. The beasts, big and small, scattered just as a blur of blue tore across the meadow, creating a rush of wind so strong it would've knocked even the largest bear off its paws with ease.

Cream-colored lips parted in an adrenaline-fueled grin, revealing sharp canines. Emerald eyes gleamed with boundless energy and a thirst for adventure and danger. Cobalt quills were flattened by the air rushing past them. All of this, synchronizing with the pounding of gray soles on the smooth terrain.

Sonic loved the feel of the wind in his fur, of the weightlessness running at such speeds brought. His feet were hardly touching the ground, just enough to propel him forward. He was racing across a vast plain - a flight he knew wasn't endless but hoped was enough to satisfy his longing for speed, for that incredible feeling of invincibility.

All too soon, it ended. He slowed to a stop at the edge of the precipice he'd already known would be there. It was a steep cliff that dropped several miles at a near ninety degree angle. At the bottom lay a ravine where a small river cut through the earth, ending somewhere beyond the horizon.

He often came here, darting across the grasslands at speeds close to mach one, and always came to a halt at this crag where the ground fell away at his feet. Though he had never particularly enjoyed sitting still, he usually opted to sit on the edge and simply gaze out at the scenery. It was breathtaking, and he was thankful there were no cities or buildings to disturb its natural splendor.

He allowed his legs to dangle over the side of the cliff and leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky. The rush of adrenaline slowly began to ebb, leaving him feeling relaxed and content. He laid back, folding his arms behind his head, and watched the small wisps of clouds float by through half-lidded eyes that began to close as time passed...

Triangular ears perked up without warning and jade green eyes were suddenly alert. There was movement in the grass behind him. In an instant, he was on his feet.

Unsurprisingly, he found himself face-to-face with Shadow the Hedgehog.

The speedster smirked. "Hey, Shads, long time no see!"

Shadow looked at him with his usual emotionless expression. This time, though, there was a hint of anger in his crimson gaze. He was clearly not in the mood for his rival's immature antics.

"You took my emerald, faker," the ebony furrie growled, low and threatening.

Sonic only grinned wider. "Yeah?"

Shadow's gaze darkened. "Give it back."

"Who's gonna make me?"

That was all it took. Shadow lunged at the speedster, snarling. Sonic dodged the attack easily, along with the ones that followed. He evaded punch after punch, kick after kick, always with a cocky smile on his muzzle that he knew infuriated his opponent.

Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform, but he was the fastest thing alive. Though it was close, he had the advantage of speed.

He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, though. Eventually, Shadow would catch him, and unfortunately it would then be a battle of strength where the black and crimson hedgehog had the upper hand.

'_Best to avoid that for as long as possible, then.'_ Sonic sidestepped as his rival charged at him, then jumped up to avoid having his feet swept out from under him.

"You'll have to be faster than that, Shadow!" Sonic called, landing a little ways away. He dodged another punch. "Too slow!"

The black humanoid snarled, but before he could attack again, Sonic darted off. Shadow gave chase as the blue blur disappeared into the nearby forest.

"Get back here and fight, faker!" He shouted as he swerved through trees and leapt over undergrowth and fallen logs.

But the cobalt hedgehog always stayed several feet in front of him. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Shadow scowled, sharp canines bared in a furious growl. He sped up as much as he could whilst avoiding the many obstacles blocking his path. The forest was growing denser; he knew Sonic had led him here for a reason. The speedster was the more agile of the two, and therefore could move faster through congested areas.

Sonic increased his pace, easily dodging low-hanging braches and swerving around patches of thorn bushes. He was only a few yards away from the edge of the forest now, very close to his home.

He looked over his shoulder and grinned, seeing the red-striped fur a ways behind. "Ha!-OOF."

The hedgehog promptly collided into something hard and furry, the impact knocking both him and the other humanoid to the forest floor. Shadow tried to stop, but he was already tripping over the two before he had the chance. He grunted as he crashed into the ground half on top of them, getting a face full of leaves and dirt.


	2. Sonic High: Freshman Year

**Author's Note:** Here is the first part to the two-part preview for Sonic High. I've already posted this here once, but decided to do it again. Cuz I can. This was at the top of my list for a long while and I even managed to get part way through the second chapter, but unfortunately I keep getting stuck. I seem to be spending more time thinking about the sequels than the first fic of the series, which I often do. The later fics in this series are much more interesting in my opinion, but a story is nothing without it's beginning. This shows great promise, however. It's not just a boring old high school story about the life of teens. Oh, it's so much more than that. I have so very many plans for it, and more come to me every day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do when the story and its sequels come to FFN.

**Sonic High: Freshman Year**

**Summary:** ALTERNATE UNIVERSE High school is hard, especially when you're a freshman, new to the district, and no one has ever really liked you before. And let's not forget secretly being hero of the world.

* * *

"Hey, Sonic!"

Sonic turned at the familiar voices, his expression brightening when he saw Knuckles and Tails waving at him further down the hall. Shadow was with them as well, wearing his typical uninterested guise, along with Silver and Blaze. Espio stood close by, and Rouge was making her way over to them, carrying several books. He grinned and started toward them, but suddenly froze. His ears twitched; there was a faint noise, like the pounding of heavy feet, accompanied by a faint, mechanical whirr. _'I swear I've heard that sound before...'_

His watching comrades stared at him, both worried and confused.

"Soni-"

Before Tails could finish his inquiry, there was an abrupt crash and screams of alarmed furries rang through the halls.

"What is that thing!?"

"Oh my God-!"

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

Students and teachers scattered, frantic. Many of them were pushed aside as a huge, robotic arm crashed through the front part of Emerald High. Sonic's eyes widened when he realized it was headed straight for him, but by then he didn't have the time to move out of the way even with his lightning-fast reflexes.

He let out a strangled cry as the metal fist slammed into him, nearly crushing him completely as he collided with the wall at the end of the hallway. The mechanical arm pulled back, taking chunks of the building with it and allowing the speedster to fall back to the ground. He gasped and coughed in the dust that had been unsettled as he pushed himself up on his hands and knees, one arm wrapped tightly around his abdomen.

"Sonic!"

The startled exclamation came from Knuckles, who was currently rushing toward his fallen friend, followed closely by the rest of the small group. Even Shadow, normally amused when witnessing the cobalt hedgehog take a beating, looked alarmed and slightly concerned as he dashed over.

"Stay back!" Sonic ordered above numerous screaming furries as he heaved himself to his feet, wincing slightly.

Knuckles slowed slightly, perplexed. "But-"

"One more step and I'll knock you guys out before this psychotic so-called 'doctor' does!"

"What!?"

Sonic didn't have time to reply as the metallic fist came crashing in again, this time through the roof. Sonic leapt back, narrowly avoiding being hit a second time. Scowling, he jumped up and went into a spin attack, slicing cleanly through the metal as if it was paper. The appendage wasn't fully severed, however, and retreated with the grinding of metal gears. Sonic landed in a crouch nearby, his expression now that of anger. His eyes were fixed on what looked to be some kind of small, half-circle hovercraft that was descending through the destroyed roof. Inside sat a heavyset man with a long mustache that nearly made invisible the smirk on his face.

"Why, hello there, Sonic! Long time no see!"

Sonic snarled, infuriated. "I can understand attacking me, Eggman, but you just hurt innocent people! Have you lost your mind!?"

"It's called revenge, hedgehog!" The scientist spat back, leaning forward in his seat. The robot, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the man, loomed up behind him, waiting for another order to attack. "Get used to it!"

"What on Mobius is going on!?"

Rouge, now standing beside the blue blur, put her hands on her hips, having dropped her books long before. Knuckles, Tails, Espio, Silver, Blaze, and Shadow came to a halt beside her.

"I thought I told you guys to stay back!" Sonic snapped as he straightened up, moving between his comrades and the 'doctor' hovering in the air above them. Much to his annoyance, he was once again ignored.

"That's the scientist that was on the news a year ago," Espio observed, watching Eggman warily.

Blaze's tail twitched nervously. "But I thought that blue hedgehog drove him off."

"Blue hedgehog..." Knuckles' eyes widened in realization and he gaped at the cobalt furrie standing before him. "Sonic...!?"

"There's no time for that now!" Sonic growled, glancing over his shoulder at the echidna. "Just _run_!"

Not waiting for an answer, he lunged, landing on the robot's arm as it swung again. The machine reeled back, swiping at the hedgehog that was currently zipping around, leaping from its shoulders to its head and back again. The seven furs below stared after him, bewildered.

"Sonic's the..." Tails trailed off, bright blue eyes wide.

Shadow huffed and crossed his arms. "I guess I underestimated him."

Knuckles shook his head, snapping out of his trance. "Well, don't just stand there! We have to help him!"

He took off, heading outside as the fight moved further away from the school. The others exchanged glances before hurrying after him, making their way around the fallen debris. The other furries in the building gazed after them with frightened, confused faces, slowly venturing out as the sounds of battle grew fainter.

Knuckles skidded to a halt in time to avoid a missile as it made contact with the ground, creating a small explosion. His gaze flicked to the source, and he was startled to see the enormous robot standing no more than ten yards away. It was at least three times the height of the school and made of dense, tough metal. Its shape mimicked that of a human and many guns and rocket launchers were visible protruding from around its shoulders and hands.

"Oh my!" Rouge breathed from where she hovered slightly above the echidna, one hand covering her mouth.

"Who could even have access to all of that machinery?" Tails wondered aloud, amazed.

Espio pulled out a few shuriken hidden in his belt. "Better question: how the heck are we supposed to take it down?"

"There's Sonic!" Shadow interrupted, pointing to the blur of blue that had appeared on the robot's arm.

Sonic dodged yet another missile, now perched on the robot's wrist. The machine whirred angrily, swatting at the hedgehog with its other hand.

"Come on, Eggbot! Get that insolent rodent!" Eggman shouted, pounding on the control panel of his hovercraft.

"Eggbot?" Sonic echoed incredulously, nimbly side-stepping another attempted attack. "Seriously, can't you come up with a decent name for once?"

"Cheeky little rat!" The scientist fumed. "I'll show you! Eggbot, launch all missiles!"

Sonic leapt up, evading the barrage of rockets. Still in mid-air, he reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

"I knew these would come in handy!"

In his open palm were several tiny, yellow squares, each with strange, golden designs that sparked with electricity. Clenching his fist, he flung them toward the robot. In the middle of their flight, they changed, turning into small, airplane-like devices. Each of them struck a different place in the Eggbot, burying themselves deep into its circuits. Small explosions erupted from where they hit, causing smoke from the bot's fried circuitry to cloud the air.

Sonic landed in a crouch a little ways away, narrowing his eyes to peer through the haze. Silence settled, and he relaxed.

"Guess that did it."

Moments after he spoke, more missiles shot out of the clearing cloud of smoke. He ducked as the rockets slammed into the ground around them, a few missing by mere inches.

"Ho ho ho ho!" Eggman grinned smugly at the speedster, still hovering above his creation. "Did you really think your uncle's little inventions could stop _my_ robot!?"

Sonic snarled and pounded the ground with one fist, frustrated. Seconds later he was forced to dive forward in order to avoid being blown up by three more missiles. He grunted as he landed on the hard pavement, momentarily stunned. His eyes widened when they settled on another rocket; this one was mere feet away, and heading straight for him.


	3. Sonic High: Sophomore Year

**Author's Note:** This is the second installment of the Sonic High series. If you vote for this one, you vote for the series itself. Same goes for the previous preview. This one has two snippets. The second was the official one, but I also wanted to show Crystal's description and how she met Sonic. Crystal is my official OC.

**Sonic High: Sophomore Year**

**Summary:** **Sequel to Sonic High: Freshman Year** Sonic's second year at Emerald High has begun and he gains both a new ally and a new enemy. As he struggles to unravel his feelings for his new friend, a treacherous foe threatens to destroy everything he loves.

* * *

"So, we all still goin' to the mall this weekend?"

Sonic shut his locker, slinging his book bag over one shoulder. "Yep, as far as I know," he replied. "I wish Tails would come. He needs to get out of the lab for a while, breathe the fresh air."

"But we need to find out more about the Chaos Emeralds," Knuckles pointed out, leaning against the lockers with his arms crossed. "And he's pretty much the only one of us that could possibly figure it out."

"Yeah, but we can't let him shut himself up in there again. It's not healthy for him."

"Speaking of unhealthy." Knuckles raised a brow at the chocolate chip pop tart as Sonic took another bite of it.

"What? I was running late."

The echidna rolled his eyes. "As per usual."

"Hmph!" Sonic huffed indignantly as he finished the last of his 'breakfast' and turned to walk to first period. "Whatever. I still don't think he should-"

The azure hedgehog was cut off as he promptly collided with something hard and furry. He heard an exclamation of surprise from the other student, who was knocked back by the sudden collision. Swiftly shaking off the shock, his arms instinctively shot out to catch the furrie, preventing her from hitting the hard floor.

"Whoa! Are you okay?" Sonic steadied her, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

A pair of tightly shut eyelids opened, revealing startled emerald eyes. The other furrie was a white-furred, hedgehog-wolf hybrid a few inches shorter than Sonic and with an average build. Her quills were styled much like his, but were longer and more drooping. The ends of her quills were black, as were the inside of her large, wolf-like ears, her torso, and the tip of her long, fluffy tail. Her right ear and her long, scruffy bangs were also tipped with black, while her muzzle was pale peach in color, contrasting with the black of her small, rounded-triangular nose. Her eyes were wolf-like in shape, similar to Blaze's. She wore a plain, light blue T-shirt and dark blue jeans. Her elbow-length, black gloves cut off at her fingertips and her shoes were red with white on the sides and had two black straps with silver clasps. A necklace on a silver chain hung around her neck. On the end was a musical eighteenth note of the same color which shone brightly in the light. She carried a black book bag on her shoulders and what appeared to be a sketchbook was held tightly in her hands. A purple mechanical pencil was fastened in the spiral binding.

"I'm fine, sorry," the female fur replied shyly as Sonic released his grip.

The blue blur opened his mouth to say something, but the other furrie was already padding swiftly away, her tail swishing timidly. Sonic watched her go, baffled.

"Is she new?" Knuckles wondered aloud, also confused by the sudden event. "She looks like a sophomore, but I don't think I've seen her before."

Sonic snapped out of his trance and shrugged, adjusting his book bag on his shoulder. "No idea."

* * *

Sonic tossed his plate in one of the many trash cans in the cafeteria, having finished his lunch. He glanced up at the clock. There was still ten minutes to spare before he had to go to study hall. Stifling a bored yawn, he padded back to Tails and Knuckles. As soon as they'd all met in the lunch room, his friends had started talking about the Chaos Emeralds. Tails had finally made a break through in his experiments and was bursting with delight. Knuckles seemed very interested in the new information as well. The echidna was just as eager to find out more about the mysterious gems as Tails was.

Sonic smiled as the two continued to talk - or, rather, yell - excitedly amongst themselves, a light chuckle escaping him. He gazed around the cafeteria, his eyes falling on the white-furred hedgehog-wolf he'd run into earlier. She was sitting alone at the edge of one of the corner lunch tables, drawing something in her sketchbook. Much to his surprise, she was staring back at him, though she quickly looked down at her book when he met her gaze. He could see her blush from here.

He blinked a few times in puzzlement, then smirked, amused, and started over toward her. The female furrie glanced up as he approached, embarrassment showing clearly on her face whilst her tail twitched nervously.

"Hey," Sonic greeted her as he stopped beside the table.

"Hi," she replied, her voice quiet but steady.

His smirk widened slightly. _'She's cute.'_ "I didn't catch your name earlier. I'm Sonic."

"Crystal," she introduced herself, smiling shyly.

Sonic leaned over the table to look at the thick, spiral-bound drawing book. "Watcha drawin'?"

He was surprised a second time when he saw himself sketched on the paper. Several of him, actually, each in a different pose. Even in their rough first stage, the drawings looked quite realistic and had a unique style.

"Impressive," he complimented and looked back up at Crystal, who was blushing even more.

"I hope you don't mind...I need practice with stances, and I used you as a model."

"Not at all." Sonic grinned. "I'm very flattered. These are really good."

"Heh." Crystal smiled again. "Thank you."

There was a moment of silence between the two. For once Sonic wasn't exactly sure what to say, and Crystal seemed too nervous to speak. Starting to feel a bit awkward himself, Sonic rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to think of something - _anything_ - to break the uneasy quiet.

"Uhm...so, you doin' anything this weekend?" He asked a bit hesitantly.

"No," Crystal responded, looking up from her sketchbook again after going back to drawing.

"Well, a few of my friends and I are gonna hang out at the mall...wanna come?"_ 'What am I doing? I just met her! Why would she want to-'_

"...Sure." Sonic looked at her in mild astonishment. The black and white furrie glanced briefly down before meeting his gaze again, clearly still nervous. "If it's okay with my parents."

Sonic shook off his surprise and smiled. "Great! I'll stop by your house after school. What's your address?"


	4. Unreality

**Author's Note:** This was a random idea from a while ago and the plot is in its very early stages. Nevertheless, I think this story has a good chance at being great. Trust me, it gets a lot more interesting and complicated as the story develops. This snippet is only a tiny peek at the suspense and excitement that this story will hold.

**Unreality**

**Summary:** It's been three and a half years. I can't contact my friends, my home. This planet...it's a nightmare. Everyone's gone. I'm alone now, except for that _thing_. That thing...that turned me into _this_. That took them away from me. I won't rest until it's dead.

* * *

Amethyst eyes opened, narrowed against the blinding white light that was slowly dying down. Knuckles lowered his arm and looked around with wide eyes.

"Where...are we?"

This couldn't be Mobius. Everything was...dead. There was no grass, no trees. Clouds completely blotted out the sky, casting the land into darkness. The dirt under his feet was like soot, black and cold. There was no warmth here. He had a feeling that they didn't just happen to appear in the middle of a desert. The atmosphere of the planet alone, morose and unforgiving, made him shudder, instinctive fear beginning to well up inside of him. The only sign that there had ever been life here was a decrepit stone wall towering to his right a few feet away. Rubble littered the earth around it, and the stone appeared old and worn. The wall was the only structure he could see in this desolate place, and yet it, too, was crumbling from existence.

He turned, relaxing faintly when he found that Shadow and Espio were still with him. They were scanning their surroundings as well and looked just as confused and uneasy as he did.

"We seem to have been transported to another planet," Espio observed half to himself.

Shadow cocked an eyebrow. "How can you be sure?"

Espio crouched down, picking up a handful of the ashy soil. "I know we're not anywhere on Mobius."

"Then where are we?" Knuckles asked again, though he knew neither of his comrades could answer.

"I wish I knew..." Espio straightened up, gazing around warily.

There was a short silence. The only sound was a slight, biting wind that stirred the blackened sand and made the three furries shiver.

Shadow broke the apprehensive stillness. "Well let's not just stand around. We need to find a way back."

"What if we can't?" Knuckles' expression turned very worried at this idea. "That weird rock sent us here, and now it's gone. And I don't see anything here but a wall and a bunch of sand."

"Maybe there are natives somewhere," Espio suggested. "They might be able to help us."

"Or maybe they'll serve us up for dinner," Knuckles muttered.

"Quiet!" Shadow hissed, ears perked and narrowed eyes searching the space around him.

The other two furs fell silent at the command, just barely catching a faint growl brought on the wind. The three of them tensed and moved closer together. Espio pulled out a shuriken from his glove and Knuckles clenched his fists, shifting into a defensive stance.

"Is it just me or is it getting darker?" The echidna's tail twitched nervously.

The dim light was indeed fading, and the wind picked up, whirling around the furries lost in the middle of a barren land. The shadows of the stone wall beside them seemed to be moving, shifting as the growls and hisses grew louder whilst a pair of red eyes watched the furries' every move...

Then there was a chilling, vicious howl, and Shadow's eyes widened as a large, wolf-like creature three times his size leapt at him from the shadows. It's long, thick fangs glinting as it opened its powerful jaws, preparing to close them on its victim's throat.


	5. Void

**Author's Note:** This was also a random idea that came to me some time ago. This same snippet started out as just a spurt of imagination. It had no plot at all, just something I came up with and thought was intriguing enough to write down and look at later on. As I thought more about it, however, my imagination began forming a plot, and a mere few days ago this story took a fairly large leap in its developement. I have two ideas for its ending: one tragic and one bittersweet. We'll just have to see which one turns out on top as the story carries on.

**Void**

**Summary:** Sonic the Hedgehog has never known defeat. Things have always worked out in the end. But now a new enemy with incredible power has come forth, and in one battle Sonic's world is changed forever. This time it's not just a game. This time, death will reign.

* * *

Light penetrated the darkness; sound, the silence. Voices came from close by, passing and entering his range of hearing as their sources moved. There was some shuffling and steady beeping along with what he assumed was a cart being wheeled along hard tile. His sense of touch returned and he recognized the feel of a soft mattress and pillow beneath him as well as the warmth of silky sheets laid over top of him. The air that came in through the open window was cool and fresh, and after a moment his nose picked up the scent of newly fallen rain. He also smelled food, presumably from a few floors below. Such sensations together were anything but familiar to him.

'_What happened...?'_

He managed to open his eyes, but at first all he could see was a harsh glare. The fluorescent lighting above him was nearly blinding.

'_Where...am I...?'_

As his vision slowly adjusted to the luminosity of the room, it became clear to Sonic that he was in a hospital, though he couldn't distinguish much of his surroundings apart from the ceiling. Everything was white - the smooth walls, the soft sheets, the tile floor as far as he could tell - and had an air of tidiness about it. Most of the noises that reached him were carefully hushed. The beeping, as he discovered when he looked slightly to his left, was coming from a heart monitor. This fact aroused some alarm.

'_Wha-what am I doing here!?'_

He tried to move, but it seemed as if his whole body was made of lead. His gaze flicked to the part of his torso that wasn't covered in the thin, white blanket. Bandages were wrapped around his chest, almost completely concealing him. He had obviously been injured, but he felt no pain from any wounds. Paralysis crossed his mind, but he pushed the thought aside, too frightened by such a possibility to even consider it.

His musings were interrupted when he thought he spotted a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He looked to his right and was just able to discern Knuckles' form on an adjacent hospital bed, his sheets lying half on the floor in a crumpled heap. The furrie was in a similar state - with most of him covered in bandages and a cast on his left arm - and at first glance it appeared that he was not breathing. Panic welled up inside of Sonic. _'Knuckles...Knuckles...'_

"Kn...Knu...ckles..."

After several failed attempts to call his friend's name, his body finally obeyed the command. His voice was terribly weak and hoarse, but at least he could talk.

The echidna's eyes swiftly opened and his head turned toward the voice. He had the same dazed expression, but he looked much more alert than Sonic felt. His lips curved into a smile, clearly glad to see his blue comrade awake.

"Faker?"

Sonic turned to his left to look up at Shadow, who was now standing over his cot, and blinked in start. He hadn't seen the ebony fur sleeping - or, rather, trying to sleep - in one of the nearby metal chairs. What was more surprising was the look of mingled worry and relief on the hedgehog's normally cold expression. He seemed to be unscathed for the most part, but many scars and a few bandages were still visible.

Shadow let out a weary sigh. "You're finally awake..."

The cobalt furrie opened his mouth to respond, but as he did, the throbbing of his wounds suddenly reached him. The pain intensified so swiftly that he hardly had time to register it. He gasped sharply as it racked his senses, throwing his mind into turmoil. He was faintly aware of the increased bleeping of his monitors and Shadow yelling something, which was soon followed by rushed footsteps and several indistinct forms appearing in the doorway. Through his blurred vision he saw Knuckles frantically attempting to get to his feet, stumbling as he did so, and everything went black.

* * *

"...sure he's going to be okay?"

A worried voice interrupted Sonic's slumber, dragging him slowly into the waking world for the second time that day.

"For the hundredth time, he just passed out."

The first had been Knuckles, who sounded both tired and concerned, followed by a reply from Shadow, who made his irritation with the echidna quite clear.

"...Should we...tell him?"

Any movement or sound Sonic had been about to make came to a screeching halt at Knuckles' words._ 'Tell me what...?'_

"I'm not sure." For once Shadow sounded uncertain of himself.

'_Why not?'_

"He deserves to know," Knuckles pointed out, a hint of anger in his tone.

'_Know what!?'_

"He's still a long way from stable," Shadow countered.

A soft sigh came from Knuckles. "I know..."

"It will probably just make things worse."

Sonic had to force himself to keep his mouth shut. What could be so horrible that even Shadow wished to keep from him?

Knuckles interrupted his thoughts. "But wouldn't you want to know if your friends were dead?"


	6. Whispers

**Author's Note:** This might just be my favorite idea so far. It's full of tragedy, blood, death, and it stars one of my OCs that I had almost forgotten and very nearly scrapped. Of course I love all of my stories, but this is the one I've been thinking about the most as of late. It's about midway in its developement, but rapidly progressing. I present to you...

**Whispers**

**Summary:** Chaos strikes, blood is spilled, a voice is lost. Sonic's friends must turn to his memories to unearth the truth. Will they be able to endure what blood-stained visions lie behind haunted emerald eyes? RATED FOR MATURE CONTENT

* * *

He was backed up against the wall on the hard ground, the stone cold on his back. His vision was blurred by panic, but the rest of his senses were hyperaware, the slightest touch making him jerk fretfully. Through the haze, an indistinct gray figure could just barely be seen standing above him, the form engulfed in shadow as the firelight that illuminated the room was behind it.

He tried to scramble backward as the other furrie was suddenly inches away, their noses almost touching. Fear lanced through him, his breaths becoming faster and more frantic. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening, and that frightened him even more. For a moment he couldn't move, frozen in place, then he attempted to push the figure away as terror took over. But he'd hardly moved at all before hands caught both of his arms and pinned him to the wall. He gasped at the painful grip that was almost crushing him, squirming in an attempt to free himself. Then something was sliding against his legs into his lap, and he went rigid.

The other fur, now on top of him, took advantage of this. The grip on his arms was released and hands moved to his back. He jerked, but was unable to get away. He was now between the other furrie and the rough stone wall, trapped.

Then, only a moment, one touch, the glint in those steel-gray eyes that suddenly became frighteningly clear, and his heart was pounding so hard that he couldn't hear himself think. His breath hitched. Tears stung at the back of his eyes. Tremors swept throughout his body. His confused mind plummeted into a whirl of panic. An ungloved hand ghosted down his trembling back to his waist-

* * *

Emerald eyes snapped open and Sonic snatched his hand away. At the same instant, Nara pulled back, shocked. With the connection severed, the others were abruptly jerked out of the vision. Tails was shaking, his twin tails wrapped around him. Knuckles and Espio simply stared, taken aback, their eyes fixed on the azure-colored furrie. Pure shock reigned in Shadow's expression, however much the ebony hedgehog tried to hold onto his emotionless guise.

Stomach churning, Sonic sunk down in his chair, not daring to meet anyone's gaze. His ears were pinned flat against his head in shame. He couldn't stand it, the feel of his friend's eyes on him, utterly stunned, wondering how their hero could have possibly been pinned down, put into such a situation, unable to escape...


End file.
